Success does not need to be synonymous with chronic overwork.

Introduction

In recent years, the term “Hustle Culture” has become synonymous with the belief that working tirelessly, loading up on caffeine, and depriving oneself of sleep is the sure-fire path to success. This all-encompassing work ethos has permeated our society, with many individuals buying into the notion that success hinges on a constant state of busyness. However, it is essential to examine the downfalls of such a culture, as it can take a toll on both mental and physical well-being and, ironically, lead to diminished chances of achieving long-term success.

The Allure of the “Hustle Culture”

The hustle culture is often marketed as a path to greatness. Proponents argue that to achieve success, one must commit fully, often to the detriment of their personal lives and well-being. This approach suggests that those who work longer hours, neglect leisure time, and sacrifice sleep will be more likely to reach their goals. In this context, caffeine consumption is encouraged as a means of staying awake and productive, despite the toll it can take on one’s health.

The Downfalls of the “Hustle Culture”

1. Burnout: One of the most significant downfalls of hustle culture is the heightened risk of burnout. Continuous stress, long hours, and inadequate self-care can lead to emotional and physical exhaustion. Burnout can result in decreased productivity, impaired decision-making, and a loss of motivation, ultimately derailing the pursuit of success.
2. Diminished Creativity: Overwork and a lack of rest can stifle creativity. Creativity often thrives in moments of leisure, relaxation, and daydreaming. A culture that prioritizes unrelenting work can hamper the very innovation and fresh thinking necessary for long-term success.
3. Declining Health: The physical toll of hustle culture is undeniable. Sleep deprivation and excessive caffeine consumption can lead to a range of health issues, including weakened immune systems, cardiovascular problems, and mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. In the long run, these health issues can hinder rather than enhance one’s path to success.
4. Neglected Relationships: An intense focus on work often leads to the neglect of personal relationships, causing strain on family, friendships, and even romantic partnerships. Neglected relationships can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, potentially impeding one’s overall sense of well-being and fulfillment.
5. Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Losses: While it might appear that hustling hard in the short-term yields results, it is unsustainable in the long run. Many people who live by this culture risk experiencing “success” that comes at the expense of their health, happiness, and overall quality of life. Success that is achieved through a balanced approach is not only more sustainable but also more fulfilling.

A More Balanced Approach to Success

Success does not need to be synonymous with chronic overwork. A more balanced approach involves setting clear boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and recognizing that sustainable success takes time and patience. It is about finding the equilibrium between work and personal life, allowing for creativity to flourish, maintaining health and well-being, and nurturing relationships. Success is not merely about working harder; it is about working smarter and creating a life that is meaningful and fulfilling.

Conclusion

The “Hustle Culture” may promise success through ceaseless work and self-sacrifice, but it often delivers the opposite. Burnout, declining health, and neglected relationships can ultimately hinder the pursuit of long-term success. Instead, a more balanced approach to success is essential, one that values well-being, creativity, and sustainable achievement. By focusing on a more holistic view of success, we can achieve not just our professional goals but also lead happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives.

JMD

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J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.

FREE SPEECH ABSOLUTIST / PERSONAL & CORPORATE FIXER

Systemic Strategic Planning; Regulatory Compliance; Crisis & Reputation Management

Sometimes, life is a very painful learning process.

I know you have been through this, we have all been.

You are peacefully minding your own business, things are going on smoothly and then, out of nothing, out of nowhere, something incredibly bad happens, something incredibly wrong happens: shit hits the fan.

Shit happens, shit storms happen, these predictable or sometimes unpredictable crisis situations that turns really bad leaving you without any immediate perceivable options or way out and making your life miserable, turning your life or having the potential to turn your life into a possible nightmare.

Well, like many of you I have been there and not only once. Many times, in the past, I went through something, through situations that may qualify or may have been perceived by many as a “Shit Storm”. Yes, I did, and yes, I did survive these situations. How did I cope with these potentially disastrous situations? Here is how I did, and how you do it.

First, let me tell you about my last shit storm that happened a few years ago.

What happened

Well, a mix of bad luck, tiredness and just plain strange stuff. First, during a routine medical exam to schedule a knee replacement surgery, I found out that I had a stage four colon cancer and if I was not to do anything to do about it, I had only two months to live.

Like it was not enough, at the same time, my corporation lost a multi-million dollars to the competition and the work unit in charge of this account had to be dismantled leaving me with absolutely no future income.

At home, things were going really bad. The radiation and chemo treatment was definitely affecting my libido and sex life. Not that I did really personally care about that, but this situation was definitely impacting on my conjugal situation and relationship.

In other words, I was having this major “The Shit Hits The Fan”, this “Shit Storm” experience.

What about now?

All of that happened a few years ago. I was under an incredible amount of pressure. While my life partner turned into a total “Nut Case”, I took the bull by the horns and survive the shit storm.

Today, everything is for the best in the best of the worlds.

What follows is, for your own benefit, an attempt to formalize my personal experience in fighting an “Unpredictable” crisis situation and how to survive it, whatever your situation may be, however desperate you may feel.

1.- Assess the situation, do not stress

It is very easy to give in to panic when something goes wrong. Instead, focus on what is happening. When you immerse yourself into an Analysis and Systemic Thinking Process, something very interesting happens. Your adrenaline rush is no longer directed into a “Fight or Flight” mode anymore. When you are facing a crisis, your reactions are following only two possible patterns: Fight or Flight, Give-up or face the situation and do something about it.

Either way, we are talking about stress.

Stress, as dangerous as it may be, does have this incredible feature: It gives you access to a tremendous source of energy.  It releases a lot of energy that you can decide to either block or harness. You can either decide to stress and give up or, decide to transform this adrenaline rush, this stress energy that you are experiencing, into working energy allowing you to fix any situation that you may encounter or may be facing.

2.- Decide on what you want to do

As soon as you realize what is going wrong, as soon as you have to face the situation, the “Shit Storm”, start to plan.

Thing systemically and strategically.

Ask yourself: What is it that needs to be done ASAP? What is it that I can do now? How is this going to impact my life? How is this, whatever I decide to do, going to impact any other aspect either of my personal or professional life? How much time do I have to react?

After gathering all the data, start to play with all the possible solutions; make this part of  the decision-making process. Just remember that some of the things that you may have to do, some of the possible fixes, may not be that visible at first. Our ability to identify and follow up decisions during a crisis is drastically affected.

Despite that, it is vital to step back and choose the best possible solution and the best possible and available fixes. Even in a very dangerous  and/or complex situation, there are always many more options than the “Fight or Flight” solution.

Yes, there is always this urge to run away from the place of the crisis, hoping that a change in context will also change the facts but, unless a building is crashing on you or a bus is going to run over you, running away is never the best option.

Avoidance is never the best solution.

It takes a while and some courage to turn your face toward the fan and take all the shit coming at you upfront. But it is the only viable solution. To prepare and plan an escape plan, to determine a possible direction to go or what you have to do, first, you have to know where the “Shit” is really coming from.

If you do not face the crisis and its causes, there is no way out. You will never be able the reverse the odds in your favor and to survive the situation. You may get away for a while if you run away, but each time you will get back to that place, there may be a different day, but you will be facing the same old fucking shit.

3.- Communicate

Nothing is happening just by itself.

There is no such a thing like a “Black Box” of our life events, something completely inaccessible. Information is always there to reach for it. Believe me, all possible answers to any situation that you may have to face reside within yourself. The only thing you have to do, the only thing you want to do is to reach for that information.

Each time you have to face a crisis, try to communicate. First, acknowledge the situation and then try to communicate with people who know you, people that may help you assess the overall situation. Seek personal and professional advice, get as much intel as you can. Most of the time, people will actually appreciate the fact that you are reaching to them and you can always benefit from their insight and assistance.

Every crisis has the potential to reveal something about you or the others that you were not aware of. As long as you stay on track and communicate, as long as you do not isolate yourself in a “I Know Better” pattern, there is always hope to find the most appropriate solution to the crisis that you may be facing. One more thing: if there are other persons involved in your crisis, try to also understand their point of view.

4.- Rebuild carefully, very carefully

Now that you have fully assessed the situation and possible solutions, now that you effectively communicate your intentions and gathered all the intelligence available, it is now time to strategically and systematically rebuild whatever is to be rebuilt.

You do not want to create or having to go through another “Shit Storm”.

The worse already happened. Why should you worry now? Just sit down and carefully review and test all the data you collected. The emphasis here is on “Carefully” not so much on “Rebuild”. You have to rebuild anyway, but just do it very carefully.

What you do not want to do is to fall back into your old patterns. Unless it is genetic, hereditary, climatic or otherwise driven by the laws of nature, nothing on earth is unpredictable.

Disasters can always be either avoided or prevented.

When you thing your systemically and plan your life strategically, nothing bad can happen to you. Personal and professional crisis and disasters can always be forecast, avoided and prevented. When going through a major crisis, it is very important to realize that you did yourself as much harm as you could have done already and that there is no need to augment on that. Just pay very close and careful attention to what you are doing and things will start to straighten up.

Again, when we are under pressure, we have this huge urge to speed up. Well, speed up, if you have to, but do it carefully, very carefully. You do not want to repeat your mistakes of the past. You do not want to go through another “Shit Storm”. Accept the current disaster and focus on avoiding the next potential one.

One final word

Most of the time, life is a painful learning process. We learn more from our failures than from our successes. We remember the dangerous and hurtful events much better than the happy events. This is an inherited pattern that is wired into the survivals patterns of all animal forms including mankind.

This is how, as a general rule, all animal life forms avoid dangerous and deadly situations. As history is telling us: Only humans are stupid enough to repeat over and over the same mistakes.

Check my website

J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.

FREE SPEECH ABSOLUTIST / PERSONAL & CORPORATE FIXER

Systemic Strategic Planning; Regulatory Compliance; Crisis & Reputation Management

Step 1. Book Your FREE 15 Minutes JMD’s Online Introductory Conference Call with JMD

This step allows us to determine if we can work together. You provide us with the specifics of the problematic situation to be resolved and we let you know if we can resolve it or not. In the affirmative, we discuss the modalities and the terms of engagement to be mutually agreed upon [Terms, Conditions, Modalities, Costs, Modalities of payment, Retainer and so on]. Upon mutual agreement and understanding being reached, we immediately create your account, and provide you with a written confirmation of our understanding of agreement and the proposed date and time for our Assess/Discovery meeting or conference call.

Step 2. Assess/Discovery Phase

Step two is what we call the “Assess/Discovery Phase”. No later than 24 hours after reaching understanding and agreement, in this phase, we assess your current situation, current condition and possible resolution avenues. The main goal of the Assess/Discovery Phase is to lay out the path ahead. This phase of the consulting process allows us to understand what is going on in your organization, what are the opportunities; what are the possible threats or existing problems you are facing and what can be done to improve the situation. This step is designed to give us clarity on how to progress through the rest of the consulting process and allowing us to put together a high-level plan including our recommendations, the end goal of the Assess/Discovery Phase being to allow you to get a sense of where things are at and how best to move forward. Unlike Step 1, this Step is all about assessment.

Step 3. The Plan

The third phase of the consulting process here is what we call “The Plan.” This third phase of the consulting process involve is a much more detailed plan. It is a step-by-step implementation planning of our strategic recommendations. In the Assess/Discovery phase, you were provided with high-level recommendations and a high-level plan of what should come next. In this phase of the consulting process, we are telling you: “Okay. We’ve done the initial assessment. Here’s what we know we need to do. Here’s what must happen to succeed.”

Step 4. Implementation

Next is what we call “Implementation” or “Implement.” This is where we implement the strategic recommendations from step 3. Depending on what we agreed upon, JMD Live Online Business Consulting may or may not be the person doing the implementation or part of the implementation. Whatever the situation, JMD Live Online Business Consulting is still responsible for the guidance and advisory aspect of all the implementation steps. There are always going to be ways to refine, improve, and optimize a given situation. That’s what the next phase, “Optimization,” is all about.

Step 5. Optimization

If you’re trying to improve something (like a client’s business), you don’t just do a single improvement and think that you’re done. There are always ways to refine, improve, and optimize. That’s what this step is about. By now in the consulting process, we have implemented the plan. Now that we implemented it, we are getting some feedback and data. We lean what levels of success we have created and what can be improved further. There is still more work to be done to continue improving your condition or to maintain the level of improvement achieved. It is now time to begin optimization.

In this step, the output is ongoing implementation. It may involve ongoing coaching, training, mentorship, monitoring and working with or leading teams. The Optimization is usually ongoing or for a set period of time.

Retainer agreements are perfect for this phase.

JMD

Free Speech Absolutist

Personal & Corporate Fixer

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.
Systemic Strategic Planning / Regulatory Compliance / Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Phone: 1. 613.539.1793

Email: jmdlive@live.ca

Web: https://www.jmichaeldennis.live/

Michel Ouellette / J. Michael Dennis is a Former Attorney, a Trial Scientist, a Crisis & Reputation Management Expert, a Public Affairs & Corporate Communications Specialist, a Warrior for Common Sense and Free Speech.

Follow JMDlive on:

JMD Live Online Business Consulting ~ Twitter ~ LinkedIn ~ Facebook ~ Mastodon ~ Tumblr ~ Instagram ~ jmichaeldennis.ca ~ The World is Changing

Step 1. Book Your FREE 15 Minutes JMD’s Online Introductory Conference Call with JMD

This step allows us to determine if we can work together. You provide us with the specifics of the problematic situation to be resolved and we let you know if we can resolve it or not. In the affirmative, we discuss the modalities and the terms of engagement to be mutually agreed upon [Terms, Conditions, Modalities, Costs, Modalities of payment, Retainer and so on]. Upon mutual agreement and understanding being reached, we immediately create your account, and provide you with a written confirmation of our understanding of agreement and the proposed date and time for our Assess/Discovery meeting or conference call.

Step 2. Assess/Discovery Phase

Step two is what we call the “Assess/Discovery Phase”. No later than 24 hours after reaching understanding and agreement, in this phase, we assess your current situation, current condition and possible resolution avenues. The main goal of the Assess/Discovery Phase is to lay out the path ahead. This phase of the consulting process allows us to understand what is going on in your organization, what are the opportunities; what are the possible threats or existing problems you are facing and what can be done to improve the situation. This step is designed to give us clarity on how to progress through the rest of the consulting process and allowing us to put together a high-level plan including our recommendations, the end goal of the Assess/Discovery Phase being to allow you to get a sense of where things are at and how best to move forward. Unlike Step 1, this Step is all about assessment.

Step 3. The Plan

The third phase of the consulting process here is what we call “The Plan.” This third phase of the consulting process involve is a much more detailed plan. It is a step-by-step implementation planning of our strategic recommendations. In the Assess/Discovery phase, you were provided with high-level recommendations and a high-level plan of what should come next. In this phase of the consulting process, we are telling you: “Okay. We’ve done the initial assessment. Here’s what we know we need to do. Here’s what must happen to succeed.”

Step 4. Implementation

Next is what we call “Implementation” or “Implement.” This is where we implement the strategic recommendations from step 3. Depending on what we agreed upon, JMD Live Online Business Consulting may or may not be the person doing the implementation or part of the implementation. Whatever the situation, JMD Live Online Business Consulting is still responsible for the guidance and advisory aspect of all the implementation steps. There are always going to be ways to refine, improve, and optimize a given situation. That’s what the next phase, “Optimization,” is all about.

Step 5. Optimization

If you’re trying to improve something (like a client’s business), you don’t just do a single improvement and think that you’re done. There are always ways to refine, improve, and optimize. That’s what this step is about. By now in the consulting process, we have implemented the plan. Now that we implemented it, we are getting some feedback and data. We lean what levels of success we have created and what can be improved further. There is still more work to be done to continue improving your condition or to maintain the level of improvement achieved. It is now time to begin optimization.

In this step, the output is ongoing implementation. It may involve ongoing coaching, training, mentorship, monitoring and working with or leading teams. The Optimization is usually ongoing or for a set period of time.

Retainer agreements are perfect for this phase.

JMD

Free Speech Absolutist / Personal & Corporate Fixer

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.
Systemic Strategic Planning / Regulatory Compliance / Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Phone: 1. 613.539.1793

Email: jmdlive@live.ca

Web: https://www.jmichaeldennis.live/

Michel Ouellette / J. Michael Dennis is a Former Attorney, a Trial Scientist, a Crisis & Reputation Management Expert, a Public Affairs & Corporate Communications Specialist, a Warrior for Common Sense and Free Speech.

Follow JMDlive on:

JMD Live Online Business Consulting ~ Twitter ~ LinkedIn ~ Facebook ~ Mastodon ~ Tumblr ~ Instagram ~ jmichaeldennis.ca ~ The World is Changing

Playing the Infinite Game of Life

When we feel helpless, we feel miserable. For most of us, the feeling of having no power, no control over people and events of our life is unbearable.

I do not know anyone who would want to have less power, less control over the events, people, and circumstances of their life. Everyone, admittedly or not, without exception, consciously or unconsciously, wants more power, more control over the events, circumstances, and outcomes of his or her life. However, in today’s chaotic world and fast changing times, it is dangerous to appear, to be perceived as too power hungry. It is dangerous, even suicidal to be too openly overt with our power moves.

In today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, for anyone wanting to score big, for anyone wanting to build the life of his or her life, to live the life of his or her dreams, one must seem fair and decent, fair, and civilized. One need to be subtle, congenial yet cunning, egalitarian yet devious. In today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, while appearing to be the very paragon of elegance excellence, in the subtlest of ways possible, one must outwit and thwart his or her opponents, everyone standing in his or her way.

In today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, in his or her quest for control over people, events, circumstances and outcomes of his or her life, all your power moves are to be made indirect. Instead of using coercion or outright treachery, one must get his or her way through seduction, charm, deception using subtle strategies and, more importantly, always planning several moves ahead. When necessary to stab someone in the back, you must do it with a velvet glove on your hand and the sweetest of smiles on your face. Life today is a never-ending game that requires constant vigilance and tactical thinking. Life today, contrary to the old times, the ancient times, is an endless civilized war.

Erroneously and hopelessly, in today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, everything must appear civilized, decent, democratic, fair, and politically correct. But for anyone playing according to these rules too strictly, taking them too literally, more than often, one will be crushed by those around him or her who are not so foolish and reckless. It is my experience that any man who tries to be good always is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not so good and do not care about decency, inequality, democracy, and justice for all. It is my experience that any man who tries to be good always is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not so good and only care about one thing: Themselves. Today’s society likes to envision itself to be the pinnacle of refinement but, underneath its glittering surface, a cauldron of dark emotions, greed, envy, lust, hatred, boils, and simmers.

To thrive and even survive in today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, in a society that likes to imagine itself to be the pinnacle of fairness and enlightenment, while appearing to respect the niceties of a politically correct world, unless he or her is a fool, one has to be prudent, master the arts of indirection, learn to seduce, learn to charm, deceive and subtly outmanoeuver whoever may stand in his or her way. To thrive and even survive in today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, in a society that likes to imagine itself to be the pinnacle of fairness and enlightenment, one must quickly learn to masterfully play the infinite game of life, the infinite game of success and power: Making people, institution and organization bend to your will without realizing what happened and what you have done. To thrive and even survive in today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, in a society that likes to imagine itself to be the pinnacle of fairness and enlightenment, one must quickly learn to masterfully play all the power games of the infinite game of life, the infinite game of success and power. Doing so, if you play the game masterfully, elegantly, and artistically, nobody will ever resent, resist or oppose you in your quest for success and power, in your quest for more control over the events, people and circumstances of your life, in your quest to life the life of your dreams.

To some, this notion of consciously playing power games, no matter how indirect and justified they may be, may seem evil, immoral, and asocial. Mistakenly believing that it is possible, instead to play an infinite game, to play a finite game by behaving in ways that have nothing to do with power. Beware of such people! While expressing their anti-power-games opinion and resentment against everyone playing such games as outwardly as possible, they are often among the most adept players at the game of power. Under the cover of morality, equality, fairness, and social justice, they use power strategies to cleverly disguise the nature of the manipulation involved. As an example, they will often display their weakness, their lack of control over the circumstances of life, the fact that they are part of an oppressed minority as a kind of moral virtue. Complaining, demonstrating, manifesting, revendicating, making a show of one’s weakness is actually a very effective subtle and deceptive strategy in the game of power. This is in no way opting out of the game of power. On the contrary!

Another strategy of the self-proclaimed communal and ethical non-players is to demand equality for all and everyone in every area of life. For these self-proclaimed egalitarian non-players, whatever their origins, their environment, their gender, confusion of gender, status and strength, abilities, or absence of abilities, whatever the circumstances, they wrongly believe and promote the idea that everyone must be treated alike. They ignore the fact that treating everyone equally means only one thing: Ignoring their differences, elevating the less skillful and suppressing those who excel. The result: A morally depraved and diminished society! Again, for too many of those self-proclaimed social and moral non-players demanding equality for everyone, they all are simply deploying another power strategy: Redistributing people’s rewards in a way that they wish to determine themselves.

Another way of avoiding playing the game of power, opting out of the game of power, would be perfect honesty and straightforwardness. But again, it is my personal experience that, more than often, being perfectly honest would, and do, inevitably hurt, and insult a great many people, too many people, and some of them will, and do, choose to retaliate, and injure you in return. It is also my experience that no one will, and no one does, see your honest statement as completely objective and free of some personal self-interest and motivation. And, in most of the cases, they would be right. In truth, as a matter of fact, the use perfect honesty and straightforwardness is nothing else than a power strategy intended to convince people of one’s noble, good-hearted, selfless character. Perfect honesty and straightforwardness are nothing else than a subtle form of coercion, a form of persuasion, nonetheless.

Finally, for most of those self-proclaimed social and moral non-players of the game of power, more than often, to protect themselves from the accusation that they are after power, they will affect an air, an aura of total naïveté. Beware! More than often, the appearance of naïveté can be a very effective way of deceit and, even genuine total naïveté is not free of the snares of the game of power: Genuinely innocent people may still be playing for power and are often horribly effective at the game. Once again, beware! More than often, those who make a show or display innocence may later reveal to be the least innocent of all. You can recognize these so-called non-players by the way they flaunt all around their moral qualities, their piety, their exquisite sense of justice. More than often, distracting us from their power plays with their air of moral superiority, these self-proclaimed social and moral nonplayers are merely throwing dust in our eyes. If you observe them closely, you will see and soon realize that, in fact, they are often the ones most skillful at indirect manipulation.

Today, in these chaotic and fast changing times, the world is every day, more and more, becoming like a giant scheming court in which, like it or not, we are trapped in. Like it or not, believe it or not, there is no use in trying to opt out of the game: That will only render you, render one powerless and miserable, and if one is already powerless and miserable, it will only render him or her even more powerless and miserable. Instead of struggling against the inevitable, instead of arguing and whining and feeling guilty, it is far better, for anyone who wants to thrive and even survive in this world, to excel at the game of life, to excel at the infinite game of life, to excel in the infinite game of success and power. In fact, the better you are at dealing with success and power, the better friend, lover, husband, wife, and person you become. By doing so, by becoming a source of pleasure to them you make others feel better about themselves and they will grow dependent on your abilities and desirous of your presence. If the game of life, the infinite game of life, the infinite game of success and power is inescapable, better to be an artist at mastering the game than a denier or an ignorant bungler.

J. Michael Dennis

Free Speech Absolutist / Personal & Corporate Fixer

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.
Systemic Strategic Planning / Regulatory Compliance / Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Phone: 1. 613.539.1793

Email: jmdlive@live.ca

Web: https://www.jmichaeldennis.live/

Michel Ouellette / J. Michael Dennis is a Former Attorney, a Trial Scientist, a Crisis & Reputation Management Expert, a Public Affairs & Corporate Communications Specialist, a Warrior for Common Sense and Free Speech.

Follow JMDlive on:

JMD Live Online Business Consulting ~ Twitter ~ LinkedIn ~ Facebook ~ Mastodon ~ Tumblr ~ Instagram ~ jmichaeldennis.ca ~ The World is Changing

Playing the Infinite Game of Life

When we feel helpless, we feel miserable. For most of us, the feeling of having no power, no control over people and events of our life is unbearable.

I do not know anyone who would want to have less power, less control over the events, people, and circumstances of their life. Everyone, admittedly or not, without exception, consciously or unconsciously, wants more power, more control over the events, circumstances, and outcomes of his or her life. However, in today’s chaotic world and fast changing times, it is dangerous to appear, to be perceived as too power hungry. It is dangerous, even suicidal to be too openly overt with our power moves.

In today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, for anyone wanting to score big, for anyone wanting to build the life of his or her life, to live the life of his or her dreams, one must seem fair and decent, fair, and civilized. One need to be subtle, congenial yet cunning, egalitarian yet devious. In today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, while appearing to be the very paragon of elegance excellence, in the subtlest of ways possible, one must outwit and thwart his or her opponents, everyone standing in his or her way.

In today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, in his or her quest for control over people, events, circumstances and outcomes of his or her life, all your power moves are to be made indirect. Instead of using coercion or outright treachery, one must get his or her way through seduction, charm, deception using subtle strategies and, more importantly, always planning several moves ahead. When necessary to stab someone in the back, you must do it with a velvet glove on your hand and the sweetest of smiles on your face. Life today is a never-ending game that requires constant vigilance and tactical thinking. Life today, contrary to the old times, the ancient times, is an endless civilized war.

Erroneously and hopelessly, in today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, everything must appear civilized, decent, democratic, fair, and politically correct. But for anyone playing according to these rules too strictly, taking them too literally, more than often, one will be crushed by those around him or her who are not so foolish and reckless. It is my experience that any man who tries to be good always is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not so good and do not care about decency, inequality, democracy, and justice for all. It is my experience that any man who tries to be good always is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not so good and only care about one thing: Themselves. Today’s society likes to envision itself to be the pinnacle of refinement but, underneath its glittering surface, a cauldron of dark emotions, greed, envy, lust, hatred, boils, and simmers.

To thrive and even survive in today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, in a society that likes to imagine itself to be the pinnacle of fairness and enlightenment, while appearing to respect the niceties of a politically correct world, unless he or her is a fool, one has to be prudent, master the arts of indirection, learn to seduce, learn to charm, deceive and subtly outmanoeuver whoever may stand in his or her way. To thrive and even survive in today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, in a society that likes to imagine itself to be the pinnacle of fairness and enlightenment, one must quickly learn to masterfully play the infinite game of life, the infinite game of success and power: Making people, institution and organization bend to your will without realizing what happened and what you have done. To thrive and even survive in today’s chaotic world and rapidly changing times, in a society that likes to imagine itself to be the pinnacle of fairness and enlightenment, one must quickly learn to masterfully play all the power games of the infinite game of life, the infinite game of success and power. Doing so, if you play the game masterfully, elegantly, and artistically, nobody will ever resent, resist or oppose you in your quest for success and power, in your quest for more control over the events, people and circumstances of your life, in your quest to life the life of your dreams.

To some, this notion of consciously playing power games, no matter how indirect and justified they may be, may seem evil, immoral, and asocial. Mistakenly believing that it is possible, instead to play an infinite game, to play a finite game by behaving in ways that have nothing to do with power. Beware of such people! While expressing their anti-power-games opinion and resentment against everyone playing such games as outwardly as possible, they are often among the most adept players at the game of power. Under the cover of morality, equality, fairness, and social justice, they use power strategies to cleverly disguise the nature of the manipulation involved. As an example, they will often display their weakness, their lack of control over the circumstances of life, the fact that they are part of an oppressed minority as a kind of moral virtue. Complaining, demonstrating, manifesting, revendicating, making a show of one’s weakness is actually a very effective subtle and deceptive strategy in the game of power. This is in no way opting out of the game of power. On the contrary!

Another strategy of the self-proclaimed communal and ethical non-players is to demand equality for all and everyone in every area of life. For these self-proclaimed egalitarian non-players, whatever their origins, their environment, their gender, confusion of gender, status and strength, abilities, or absence of abilities, whatever the circumstances, they wrongly believe and promote the idea that everyone must be treated alike. They ignore the fact that treating everyone equally means only one thing: Ignoring their differences, elevating the less skillful and suppressing those who excel. The result: A morally depraved and diminished society! Again, for too many of those self-proclaimed social and moral non-players demanding equality for everyone, they all are simply deploying another power strategy: Redistributing people’s rewards in a way that they wish to determine themselves.

Another way of avoiding playing the game of power, opting out of the game of power, would be perfect honesty and straightforwardness. But again, it is my personal experience that, more than often, being perfectly honest would, and do, inevitably hurt, and insult a great many people, too many people, and some of them will, and do, choose to retaliate, and injure you in return. It is also my experience that no one will, and no one does, see your honest statement as completely objective and free of some personal self-interest and motivation. And, in most of the cases, they would be right. In truth, as a matter of fact, the use perfect honesty and straightforwardness is nothing else than a power strategy intended to convince people of one’s noble, good-hearted, selfless character. Perfect honesty and straightforwardness are nothing else than a subtle form of coercion, a form of persuasion, nonetheless.

Finally, for most of those self-proclaimed social and moral non-players of the game of power, more than often, to protect themselves from the accusation that they are after power, they will affect an air, an aura of total naïveté. Beware! More than often, the appearance of naïveté can be a very effective way of deceit and, even genuine total naïveté is not free of the snares of the game of power: Genuinely innocent people may still be playing for power and are often horribly effective at the game. Once again, beware! More than often, those who make a show or display innocence may later reveal to be the least innocent of all. You can recognize these so-called non-players by the way they flaunt all around their moral qualities, their piety, their exquisite sense of justice. More than often, distracting us from their power plays with their air of moral superiority, these self-proclaimed social and moral nonplayers are merely throwing dust in our eyes. If you observe them closely, you will see and soon realize that, in fact, they are often the ones most skillful at indirect manipulation.

Today, in these chaotic and fast changing times, the world is every day, more and more, becoming like a giant scheming court in which, like it or not, we are trapped in. Like it or not, believe it or not, there is no use in trying to opt out of the game: That will only render you, render one powerless and miserable, and if one is already powerless and miserable, it will only render him or her even more powerless and miserable. Instead of struggling against the inevitable, instead of arguing and whining and feeling guilty, it is far better, for anyone who wants to thrive and even survive in this world, to excel at the game of life, to excel at the infinite game of life, to excel in the infinite game of success and power. In fact, the better you are at dealing with success and power, the better friend, lover, husband, wife, and person you become. By doing so, by becoming a source of pleasure to them you make others feel better about themselves and they will grow dependent on your abilities and desirous of your presence. If the game of life, the infinite game of life, the infinite game of success and power is inescapable, better to be an artist at mastering the game than a denier or an ignorant bungler.

J. Michael Dennis

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.
Systemic Strategic Planning / Regulatory Compliance / Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Phone: 1. 613.539.1793

Email: jmdlive@live.ca

Web: https://www.jmichaeldennis.live/

Michel Ouellette / J. Michael Dennis is a Former Attorney, a Trial Scientist, a Crisis & Reputation Management Expert, a Public Affairs & Corporate Communications Specialist, a Warrior for Common Sense and Free Speech.

Follow JMDlive on:

JMD Live Online Business Consulting ~ Twitter ~ LinkedIn ~ Facebook ~ Mastodon ~ Tumblr ~ Instagram ~ jmichaeldennis.ca ~ The World is Changing

“When asking for help, never appeal to people’s mercy or gratitude: Appeal to their self-interest.”

In your quest for success and power, you will constantly find yourself in the position of asking for help from more powerful than you. There is an art for asking for help, an art that depends on your ability to understand the person you are dealing with, and not to confuse your needs with theirs.

Most people will never master this art because they are completely trapped in their own wants and desires. They start from the assumption that the people they are appealing to have a selfless interest in helping them. They talk as if their needs mattered to those people, people who probably could not care less. Sometimes, they refer to larger issues: A great cause or grand emotions such as love and gratitude. They go for the big picture when simple, everyday realities would have much more appeal. What they do not realize is that even the most powerful persons are locked inside needs of their own, and that if you make no appeal to their self-interests, they merely see you as desperate or, at best, a waste of time.

“The shortest and best way to make your fortune is to let people see clearly that it is in their interests to promote yours.”

Some people will see an appeal to their self-interest as ugly and ignoble. They would prefer to be able to exercise charity, mercy, and justice, which are their ways of feeling superior to you. When you beg them for help, you emphasize their power and status. They are powerful and successful enough to need nothing from you except the chance to feel superior. They are dying to fund your project, to introduce you to powerful people, provided of course, that all this would be done in public and for a good cause. Usually, the more public, the better. Not everyone, then, can be approached through cynical self-interest. Some people will be put off by it because they do not want to seem to be only motivated by such a public display. For those who are interested in such a display of public generosity, they need opportunities to display their good heart genuinely and generously.

Do not be shy, give them that opportunity. It is not as if you are cunning them by asking for help. It is really their pleasure to give and to be seen giving. Just remember: You must distinguish the differences among successful and powerful people and figure out what makes them tick. When they ooze greed, do not appeal to their charity. When they want to look charitable and noble, do not appeal to their greed.

JMD

Free Speech Absolutist

Personal & Corporate Fixer

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.
Systemic Strategic Planning / Regulatory Compliance / Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Phone: 1. 613.539.1793

Email: jmdlive@live.ca

Web: https://www.jmichaeldennis.live/

Michel Ouellette / J. Michael Dennis is a Former Attorney, a Trial Scientist, a Crisis & Reputation Management Expert, a Public Affairs & Corporate Communications Specialist, a Warrior for Common Sense and Free Speech.

Follow JMDlive on:

JMD Live Online Business Consulting, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Mastodon, Tumblr, Instagram, jmichaeldennis.ca

Leave Nothing to Chance: It is like shooting ducks blindfolded.

In the game of life, the infinite game of life, the infinite game of success and power, leave nothing to chance. What is the point of winging it, of just hoping you may be able to charm this or that client? It is like shooting ducks blindfolded. Arm yourself with a little knowledge and your aim will improve.

In the realm of success and power, your goal is to acquire a certain degree of control over future events and circumstances. Part of the problem you face, then, is that most people will not confide and tell you anything about their thoughts, emotions, and plans. Controlling what people say and are telling you, they often keep the most critical parts of their character, their weaknesses, flaws, ulterior motives and/or obsessions, hidden from you. The result: You cannot predict their moves and are constantly in the dark. To remediate this situation, you must find a way to probe them, to find out their secrets and hidden intentions, without letting them know what you are up to.

This may not be as difficult as you may think. A friendly front will let you secretly gather information on friends and enemies alike. Another way is to spy on your friends and enemies. The method is simple, powerful, but risky: You will certainly gather intelligence, but you have very little control over the people, the spies doing the work for you. Perhaps will they ineptly reveal your spying, or even secretly turn against you. It is far better to spy yourself, to pose as a friend while secretly gathering information.

During social gatherings and innocuous encounters, pay attention. This is when most people have their guards down. By suppressing your own personality, you can make them reveal things. The brilliance of this strategy is that they will mistake your interest in them for friendship. You are not only gathering intelligence, but you are also making allies.

Nevertheless, use this type of maneuver with caution and care. If people begin to suspect you are worming secrets out of them under the cover of conversation, they will strictly avoid you. Emphasise friendly chatter, not valuable information. Your search for valuable information cannot be too obvious, or your probing questions will reveal more about yourself and your intentions than about the intelligence you hope to find.

One effective way to do your spying is to pretend to bare your heart to the person you are spying on. By doing so, you make that person more likely to reveal his or her own secrets. Give people a false confession and they will give you a real one. Another effective strategy would be to vehemently contradict people you are in conversation with as a way of irritating them, stirring them up so that they lose some of the control over their words. In their emotional reaction they will reveal all kinds of truths about themselves, truths you can later use against them.

Another method of indirect spying is to test people, to lay little traps that make them reveal things about themselves. By tempting people into certain acts, you learn about their loyalty, their honesty, and so on. This kind of knowledge about people is often the most valuable of all: Armed with it, you can predict their actions in the future.

“In the land of the two-eyed, the third eye of the spy gives you the omniscience of the gods. You see further than others, and you see deeper into them.”

Intelligence is critical to success and power, but just as you spy on other people, you must be prepared for them to spy on you. One of the most potent weapons and defensive move in the battle for intelligence is giving out false information. By planting the information of your choice, you control the game.

JMD

Free Speech Absolutist

Personal & Corporate Fixer

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.
Systemic Strategic Planning / Regulatory Compliance / Crisis & Reputation Management

Skype: jmdlive

Phone: 1. 613.539.1793

Email: jmdlive@live.ca

Web: https://www.jmichaeldennis.live/

Michel Ouellette / J. Michael Dennis is a Former Attorney, a Trial Scientist, a Crisis & Reputation Management Expert, a Public Affairs & Corporate Communications Specialist, a Warrior for Common Sense and Free Speech.

Follow JMDlive on:

JMD Live Online Business Consulting, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Mastodon, Tumblr, Instagram, jmichaeldennis.ca